Throughout
the witness found in the four synoptic gospels and then within the disciples
themselves, are found the resistance to the kingdom message, which
the above brings to light and bears the record of. Within the
synoptic gospels we also see the extremes that Religion takes in
denying Christ and the destroying of those who with whole hearted
persuasion receive His kingdom, which had been resisted in the
beginning. The kingdom is what man and God lost when mans
relationship changed from having God's Spirit, of Christ within him.
Of being one being with God, in the deception and rebellion revealed
in the third chapter of Genesis. Then the rest of the Bible reveals
God's workings to bring a regenesis, regeneration and rebirth to His
creation, man. It also reveals the operations of mans Religion in the
resisting of God in what ever manor the familiar spirit of Religion
deemed necessary.
We after conversation are to become like a good
police detective in our quest for God's Truth, righteousness and
kingdom rule hidden within the context of the Bible as treasure, and
pearl of greatest value. Many of these are found in the similitude's,
parables of metaphoric language, which requires our having received
the Spirit Holy, the Spirit of Truth as our aid and helper to decipher God's message. Which begins in our
accepting and receiving His Redemption wherein He begins to train, teach and
tutor us by His Spirit of Holiness. Even in the writings of Moses
and later God's own prophets are these things made known to those who
have become God's Sons in His Salvation. That is why Jesus said that
out of the storehouse, a good steward, servant, and householder brings both the
old and the new to the open, in Matthew 13:52 and copied in
2Corinthians 3:4-6. He also told the disciples in Matthew 13:11, as
witnessed to in Luke 8:10, that they (we) are to know the mysteries
or secret things of God and the kingdom of heaven. (spoken
of in Deut. 29:29) Therefore we do
not need to go to a Bible School or a School of Theology or
University to learn these secrets we just have to become willing to
be the willing and then allow God (Elohim and LORD) to reveal all
within us of His secrets. This by the way is done and received by
prayer, trust and Love restored within us, because His Faith and
Truth work through Love in Grace. Mainly because of mans own propensity
to resist change, no matter its form, simply as a force of habit and
training. Add
that coupled with the falsehood of self sufficiency taught and
strongly promoted by today's schools, colleges and universities. Along
with the churches, and denominations no matter
what form they take. Why? Because of the sweetness of sin and the
fear of death in the knowledge of the tree of good and evil sown in
the callous heart of man.
When
we pray, asking God to sanctify us, are we really prepared to measure up to
what that really means? We take the word sanctification much too
lightly. Are we prepared to pay the cost of sanctification? The cost
will be a deep restriction of all our earthly concerns and desires
and an extensive cultivation of all our Godly concerns.
Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God’s point of
view. It means to secure and to keep all the strength of our body,
soul, and spirit for God’s purposes alone. (Deut. 6:3-7 and Romans
12:1-3) Are we really prepared for God to perform in us everything
for which He separates us? And after He has done His work, are we
then prepared to separate ourselves to God just as Jesus did? “For
their sakes I sanctify Myself . . .” (John 17:19)." This is
one of the hidden messages of the gospel of the kingdom which John
the Baptist and then Jesus as the Son of man brought before Israel
first and then Paul brought to bear in the Gospel message (in the
activation, inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of heaven
and of God) given him by the resurrected and ascended LORD.
When we
have learned Christ as asked of us in Matthew 11:29 (28-30) where
Jesus said this: "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. (the implied here is, Are you ready to)
Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and
lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is
easy, and My burden is light." If we have ears to hear and eyes
to see we will both hear and see the question here posed to us. It is
how we respond to this question that will determine if we proceed any
farther in the entry into His kingdom and the kingdom being developed
within us. Known as Salvation, in the maturing and perfecting of the image and likeness of Christ when restored within us. (as
seen in Gen. 1:26-27) For this cannot come about while we still only have the
right (power) to become sons of God, in the first estate of
Redemption (John 1:12). We
have to have received His kingdom rule and law within before
Salvation can be active within us. In the kingdom God, God has
promised to do all the works that man and especially Israel could not
bring about in their own efforts and self-reliance. Israel tried to do it by works
because of the error of understanding brought about through the
Priesthood from Ezra forward because they had become false prophets
in the hardness of heart (caused by heresy and hypocrisy) being turned over to a familiar spirit which causes
blindness of God.
The
Apostles Arrested
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